Tea Ring with Dates and Cardamom

2 packets yeast
1/4 C apple juice, lukewarm
1/3 C demerara sugar
1/3 C safflower oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 C evaporated milk
1/2 C hot water
4 1/2 C unbleached white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamom seeds, freshly ground in spice grinder or small coffee mill



Dissolve yeast in apple juice. Mix together sugar, oil, eggs and evaporated milk. Heat water to a temperature so that when mixed with the rest of the wet ingredients will create a final temperature like that of warm bath water. Add 1/2 C water and dissolved yeast to wet ingredients. Sift together flour, salt and ground cardamom.
Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients. Kneed on floured board until dough is smooth. Place dough into oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and place in warm spot. Let rise until double in bulk. Roll into long rectangular sheet 1/2" thick. Spread date filling onto dough. Starting at one of the long ends of the rectangle roll dough jellyroll style to create long tube. On oiled cookie sheet form ring, tucking one end of the tube into the other and pressing to seal. Cut slits at 1 inch intervals with sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Set in warm spot and let rise for 90 minutes. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Date Filling

2 C pitted dates
1/2 C barley malt
juice of 1 medium grapefruit

Blend all ingredients in food processor until dates are finely chopped. Transfer mixture to small saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes until thick. Let cool.

Winter Solstice Quinoa Salad

2 1/2 C red quinoa
5 C water
6 oz. bag of baby spinach or baby arugula
small head of radiccio, sliced
1/2 C almonds, coarsely chopped
arils of 1/4 of a pomegranate



dressing
8 Tbs. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
8 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground mace

Cook quinoa in water. Drain thoroughly. Add rest of ingredients. Add dressing immediately before serving.

Apple Ginger Salad Dressing

 3 Tbs. Frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
3 Tbs. olive oil

1Tbs.. soy sauce
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into small pieces
 

Combine all ingredients in blender.

Chocolate Debauchery

A flourless chocolate cake that is baked in a waterbath, as you would a pudding, and topped with a glaze made from dried sour cherries.

3 Lindt 70% cocoa 3.5 oz. chocolate bars
2 sticks butter (yes, I know---but it's debauchery remember)
5 eggs
1 cup demerara sugar about demerara sugar

glaze

1/2 C. sweetened, dried sour cherries
6 oz. frozen concentrated apple juice thawed
1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. Beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add melted chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a buttered 9" cake pan. Place pan in a larger pan and fill outer pan with water until it reaches 1 inch up the side of the inner pan. Cover outer pan with aluminum foil, crimp edges to seal tightly. Bake for 90 minutes or until your finger comes away clean when you lightly touch the center of the cake.

For the glaze

In a small saucepan simmer cherries in apple juice concentrate for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for one hour. Sprinkle in arrowroot powder and return to simmer until arrowroot turns clear and mixture coats back of spoon. When mixture cools to lukewarm spread on top of cake.